Hitting you guys up with another soup recipe today. What can I say? I love soup! With this cold weather, it’s a necessity! It’s super hearty and hits all the right notes in the ol’ taste buds.

I know ‘taco Tuesday’ usually involves tacos, but why not mix things up a bit with a warm bowl of this taco soup this week?

What can I say?

I’m a wild child 😀 #not

Why is this Chicken Taco Soup Recipe So Good?

Clearly, I’m not going to share something with you guys that I don’t personally love! Granted, there are some recipes that rev me up more than others and this taco soup is definitely up there. This easy chicken taco soup makes for one heck of a weekday dinner or hefty lunch. So what makes this soup so dang special?

Lots of protein from chicken

Fibre rich black beans

Vitamin C from bell pepper and tomatoes

It’s relatively low fat

It’s both gluten free and dairy free (if you don’t garnish with yogurt or sour cream)

Made in one pot

Comes together in under 30 minutes

Can be garnished to taste to make it your own

Of course, it tastes DELICIOUS!

How to Make Baked Tortilla Chips or Strips

One of the things that I love to garnish this healthy chicken taco soup with is baked tortilla (in strip or chip form). I used strips here because that’s what I was in the mood for this particular day (just cut to the size you want).

All you have to do is –

Cut some store bought tortillas into strips

Place on a baking tray

Spritz with baking spray (or brush with a little oil) and bake on 375 F for 5-6 minutes. Watch that they don’t burn because this can happen quickly!

Easy peasy, right?

Garnish just when serving because they will get soggy if sitting too long in the broth. Leftover strips? Honestly, I could eat them as they are. So good dunked into yogurt, sour cream, guacamole or salsa.

How to Garnish this Taco Soup Recipe

Just like tacos, the possibilities are endless here when it comes to garnish. Of course, this chicken taco soup is so flavourful, garnish is not needed and totally optional, but this chicka loves garnish! Use any one (or all) of these. You can’t go wrong!

Baked tortilla strips (as above)

Freshly diced tomato

Jalapeño pepper

Green onion

Greek yogurt or sour cream

Avocado

Fresh lime juice

Pinch of fresh oregano

Cilantro

A drizzle of sriracha or your fave hot sauce

And, if you are looking for a side dish to this taco soup, cornbread would be lovely!

Tips for Making this Chicken Taco Soup

Leftover cooked chicken helps make this chicken taco soup recipe come together in under 30 minutes. However, if you don’t have any on hand, simply roast some chicken before proceeding with this recipe. Alternatively, leftover turkey works great too.

Unsalted chicken stock was used to better control the salt content. If you have on hand, use that. If you don’t, taste before adding any additional salt.

Similarly, unsalted black beans was used. No matter the variety, always rinse and drain the beans before using.

Speaking of beans, a three bean blend would work well in this soup too.

Frozen corn was used, but fresh would work great as well.

Smoked paprika was used, but if you don’t have chipotle powder works too. If you don’t have either, a canned chipotle or two in adobo sauce (minced up) would be a great substitute. Regular sweet paprika is not the same as smoked and will not yield the same smoky flavour at all.

I used a minced Thai chili pepper as well (because I love things spicy). You can totally omit of you want or sub with 1/2 tsp or so of chili flakes or cayenne.

A small can of store bought diced green chilies were used, but if you are inclined to make your own, Brooklyn Farm Girl has a recipe.

Notes

Leftover cooked chicken helps make this soup come together in under 30 minutes. However, if you don't have any on hand, simply roast some chicken before proceeding with this recipe. Alternatively, leftover turkey works great too.

Unsalted chicken stock was used to better control the salt content. If you have on hand, use that. If you don't, taste before adding any additional salt.

Similarly, unsalted black beans was used. No matter the variety, always rinse and drain the beans before using.

Speaking of beans, a three bean blend would work well in this soup too.

Frozen corn was used, but fresh would work great as well.

Smoked paprika was used, but if you don't have chipotle powder works too. If you don't have either, a canned chipotle or two in adobo sauce (minced up) would be a great substitute. Regular sweet paprika is not the same as smoked and will not yield the same smoky flavour at all.

I used a minced Thai chili pepper as well (because I love things spicy). You can totally omit of you want or sub with 1/2 tsp or so of chili flakes or cayenne.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Such a quick recipe with SO much flavor! I’m definitely going to try this one. This reminds me of my mom’s favorite tortilla soup she used to order at our local Mexican restaurant. Though yours has many more goodies in it. 🙂

Oh, I love tacos! And when we’re buried in snow (like right now), I love soup. So combining these into one sounds like a great way to warm up, Dawn! Those tortilla strips on top are awesome. Oh, and another great thing about soup? It tastes even better on Day 2. That means you could send me a batch of this soup, and it will just get better and better as it makes the journey. 🙂 Hope your week is off to a great start, my friend!

Dawn, this soup looks incredible. Mexican food is my favorite, and you just put everything I love about Mexican food in a soup! YAY! And ready in under 30 minutes! I love all the different garnishes you can put on this soup. I’m a little reluctant for spring to come because I’m enjoying all the soup recipes! Have a great week, my friend!

I love taco soup. Like, LOVE IT! And I can’t believe how quickly this one comes together! It still hasn’t really warmed up in Phoenix so when I get back from vacation you know I’ll be whipping this up :). Have a great week, girlie!

I’m all about the soup these days too Dawn! I just heard the weather forecast this week and it’s going to get to -30 celsius with the windchill on Wednesday! So this recipe is perfect timing. A hot bowl of soup with spicy flavours will keep us warm! Happy Monday!

I already commented, and I think it didn’t like it…but I apologize if you get two from me!! Just had to make sure you knew how DELICIOUS this looks. Just what I need during this winter chill – a little bit of heat!! Hope you had a